Sep 10 Gingerbread Pavlova with Butternut Squash Curd with Baileys

Yup, summer is almost over and autumn is approaching. While some feel sad about it, I am, quite the opposite, actually really looking forward to it. Well, to start with, two of our favorite autumn festivals are coming up, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Can't wait to start carving the pumpkins with the family and preparing Thanksgiving gathering with friends. Secondly, autumn is way more beautiful than summer. Just imagine, gorgeous fall foliage with red, orange, brown and green all harmoniously mixed together. And last, but not least, we can enjoy all the tasty fall treats again, which brings to the point of this blog post. I teamed up with Baileys to create this recipe to welcome the start of Autumn with their new seasonal Pumpkin Spice flavor.

As soon as I opened the bottle, I was drawn into its delicious smell, which reminded me of gingerbread, pumpkin, maple syrup, cinnamon, all spice, and vanilla. The best way to describe its taste would be sweet, spicy, creamy and pumpkiny.

In today's recipe, I added the Pumpkin Spice into the butternut squash curd. Not only did it compliment the squash flavor perfectly, but also give the pavlova an extra lift. Therefore, the overall flavor was more interesting and sophisticated. The alcohol was burned off during curd making. So everyone in the family can enjoy this delicious dish. If you are looking for something different than traditional pumpkin pie as dessert for Thanksgiving, I think this gingerbread pavlova with butternut squash curd would be just the one! The "Pumpkin Spice" is only a limited edition, so grab it fast before it is gone.

Gingerbread Meringue Base

What you'll need:

6 large egg whites

1 1/2 cup of sugar

2 tsp corn flour

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp clove

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

How it's made:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Add balsamic vinegar and corn flour and beat a few more seconds.

Sprinkle cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ground ginger and then gently fold everything until the the spices are thoroughly mixed in.

Mound on to a baking sheet in three circles approximately 7 inches in diameter each, smoothing the sides and top. Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300ºF and cook for about one to one and a quarter hours. When it's ready they should look crisp around the edges and on the sides and be dry on top. Turn off the oven and open the door, and let the gingerbread meringue discs cool completely.

Butternut Squash Curd

What you'll need:

1 1/2 cup butternut squash (see instruction below)

2 large egg yolks

2 large eggs

150 grams caster sugar

100 grams unsalted butter

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp Bailey's Pumpkin Spice

How it's made:

To make fresh butternut squash puree: cut the butternut squash in half. Peel and remove the seeds (seeds can be roasted and they are delicious!). Cut the butternut squash into small cubes. Steam the cubes over simmering water for about 20 mins until the squash are soft. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit. Then puree the squash cubes in a high-speed blender into smoothy mixture. Add 1 or 2 tbsp of water if necessary. Set the puree aside.

Beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together. Set aside.

Melt the butter over a low heat in a heavy-based pan, and when melted stir in the sugar-egg mixture, Bailey's pumpkin spice and the butternut squash puree, and keep cooking gently, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in the lemon juice. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly, then pour into a jar. Keep in the fridge.

Butternut Squash Pavlova

Additional ingredients:

1/2 cup pecan nuts, roughly chopped and light roasted

1/3 cup caramel sauce

Put the first meringue disc on the cake stand. Then gently spread the butternut squash curd on top with a spatula.

Repeat the step 1 two times until all three meringue discs are layered with butternut squash curd.

Sprinkle with chopped pecans and drizzle the caramel sauce over. Serve immediately or store in the fridge 2-3 hours before serving.

* Note: So far, I only used Bailey's Pumpkin Spice during cooking. If you prefer to add it to your drinks, please consume responsibly.